Latch.



PATENTBD APR. 14, 1908. I. w; HERMAN.

LATGH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 190'! mm U w N f N w% m .N 1% m 6 m rJ wmvEssEs Tut Nblmls Pnsns ch, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED srArEs- IGNATIUS W. HERMAN, OF OOTESFIELD, NEBRASKA.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application filed June 19, 1907. Serial No. 379,736.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, IGNATIUs W. HERMAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Cotesfield, in the county of Howard and Stateof Nebraska, have invented a new and Im roved Latch, of which thefollowing is a ful clear, and exact description.

This invention has reference to improvements in latches, the object ofwhich is not only to provide a means for securing a door in closedposition, but also to guard against accidental displacement of thelocking-bar or member, whereby the door is permitted to freely swingopen. A latch having this feature of advantage embodying the simplicityof construction of the present invention, is of s ecial value to farmersand others for barnoors, feed-doors, etc. where it is necessary that thedoor be so secured that a shrewd animal will be unable to dislodge thelocking member.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a face viewof my improved latch as applied to a door, thelatch being shown artly in section; Fig. 2 is an end view of the atch;Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4is a perspective view of a dog whichoperates to lock the latchin bar inplace Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latching bar as used inconnection with sliding doors; and Fig. 6 is a like view of a latchingbar for hinged doors.

The preferred form of my improvedlatch includes a casing l which isU-shape'd in cross section and of tapering form longitudinally, with theenlarged portion of the casing being arranged at the forward end of thelatch and the bottom edge thereof disposed substantially horizontal.otherwise secured to the door through the projecting flanges, as shown,and is provided with a longitudinal slot 2 formed intermediate itslength in the front thereof, said slot having a downwardly-directed armor notch 2 at its forward end. The slot 2 and its notch 2 when the latchis applied, are also reproduced in the door and in a plate 3 secured tothe opposite side of the door.

Slidably fitting within the casing 1, is a latching bar 4 through whichasses a in or bolt 5 also passing through an guided in the This casingis bolted or I slot 2 and the corresponding slot in the door and plate3. Adjacent to the casing 1 at the outside of the slot 2, the pin 5 isprovided with an operating knob 6, and at its opposite end with a heador other enlargement 7, whereby the latching bar 4 may be easily slidback and forth within the casing at either side of the door and retainedagainst direct sliding movement when the pin 5 is passed into the notch2 The forward free end of the latching bar 4 has a notch 8 formed on itsunder edge designed to be engaged with the loweroffset portion of aU-shaped keeper 9 which is bolted or otherwise secured to the door-jamb.Pivotally suspended within this keeper above the latching member, is adog 10 shown in detail in Fig. 5, the same preferably consisting of ablock having at one edge a finger or projection 11 which is adapted tocontact with one edge of the keeper 9 when the dog is swung downwardly,and thereby provide a stop and also serving as a handle for throwing thedog to inoperative osition. By this construction, when the late ing baris shifted to the forward limit of its movement and engaged with thekeeper 9 and the dog 10 thrown downwardly, it is impossible toaccidentally displace the latching bar, nor can the same be displaced bythe shrewdest animal, making the invention especially (lesirable forbarndoors, feed-doors and in many other relations.

The latching bar when slid from the keeper will tend to stay in place inview of the inclination of the slot 2, which is parallel to the top edgeof the casing. In using the latch on hinged doors it will be unnecessaryto construct the latching bar 4 with a notch 8, but the same should havea plain outer end as shown in Fig. 6. With this form of latching bar thecasing may be narrower and the notch 2*, leading from the slot 2,shorter.

The latch as shown and described, although being my preferred, practicalembodiment of the invention, is. obviously, nevertheless, susceptible ofnumerous modifications falling within the scope of the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A latch comprising a casing longitudinally tapered and U-shaped incross section, having a longitudinal slot formed in the face thereofsubstantially parallel to the top edge of the casing and rovided with aprojection leading downwardly from the inward end of said slot, alatching bar within the casing, having a notch formed in its forwardend, a keeper, a dog pivoted above the latching-bar within the keeper,having a finger at one side, and means connected with the latching-barand passing through said slot for shifting the latching bar into and outof engagement with said keeper.

2. A latch, comprising a longitudinally tapered casing having a slot inits front face substantially parallel to its top edge with a downwardlydirected notch at the forward end of the slot, a keeper, a latching-barfitting the small end of the casing, and a handle connected with thelatching-bar through said slot for shifting it to and from the keeper.

3. A latch comprising a casing having a slot in its front face inclinedupwardly in a forward direction, and a bolt slidable in said casinghaving an operating device passing through said slot, whereby the boltunder the influence of gravity tends to remain in a retracted position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

IGNATIUS W. HERMAN.

Witnesses:

EMIL S. LIND, HARRY ROLLINs DE LAND.

